The First Trial
by ChangingTheCircumstances
Summary: After the events during the Avengers movie, Loki is taken back to Asgard and placed into a cell. Thor visits every day and it feels like every time they argue. Same thing again and again. But one day the pattern changes, something isn't right, Thor doesn't seem like Thor.


**AN: Okay, so this was a project that I actually abandoned awhile ago but I decided just to push all the chapters into a one-shot since they were so short. This takes place after the Avengers and reviews are greatly appreciated.**

* * *

Just like any where, Asgard wasn't just the beautiful place that it seemed to be on the outside. Like Earth, it had its dark side and possibly one of the darkest places in Asgard was the prison. The prison was set several feet underground and each cell was home to one criminal. Many never left their cell and as the citizens above slowly forgot about them, the prisoners rotted beneath their feet. The cells were cold and damp with only a small square of light coming in through the small opening in the door. For a bed, the criminals slept on a mass of scratchy straw and a bucket in one of the corners was a toilet.

Loki sat in one of those cells now, completely still and simply staring at the door that stood between him and freedom. If he had his magic he could have easily broken out but he didn't have it, not anymore. Not only had Odin taken that away from him, he also had turned him into a mortal, a human. That meant that the cold and dampness of the cell, which normally wouldn't have bothered him because of him being a frost giant, bothered him a great deal now. Loki had also been stripped of his armor and now wore a tight, black, scratchy shirt and pants with no shoes on his cold feet.

This was part of his punishment. However, Loki doubted that Odin would simply leave it at this. More than likely Odin would end up banishing him somewhere extremely unpleasant. Loki didn't really care where, just as long as he didn't leave him stranded on Jotunheim. Loki was positive that after he tricked the frost giants and killed Laufey, they wouldn't be to welcoming.

It was quite boring in the prison for there was nothing for him to do in that dark cell except for the times when his brother came to visit him as well. He came almost every day and would try to get Loki to talk but he rarely did. Normally Thor would start out with some small talk, discussing what was recently happening in Asgard or Midgard, and then go on to ask how Loki was doing. However, whenever he mentioned Odin and the chance of Loki getting out Loki would snap. They would begin yelling at each other and Thor would eventually leave. But, just like clockwork he'd come back the very next day and the cycle would start over again.

Loki hated it but he couldn't really do anything about it. Then, the door opened and Thor stepped in. Loki glanced up at him. His face slowly seemed to melt as a frown came to his face his eyebrows furrowed. Loki could immediately tell something wasn't right. Thor stood to rigid and coldness filled his normally bright eyes.

Slowly, Loki stood up as Thor closed the door behind him, enveloping them both in darkness, except for the small square of light. While Thor walked towards him, Loki asked, "Who are you?"

"What do you mean? It's me dear brother," replied Thor.

Loki noted that even his voice seemed colder. He didn't know how he knew, but somehow Loki could tell that whoever this was, it wasn't Thor. "You're not Thor."

Suddenly, green smoke filled the room and standing next to Thor was _her_, Amora, the Enchantress. She stood there, her blond hair flowing down her back and her green eyes flashing with evil intent.

"You are smart," she said with a wicked smile. "I'm surprised; I expected you to be as dumb as a doornail what with all your evil plans failing and what not."

"What do you want Enchantress?" asked Loki. Though he had never actually met her before now, he had heard about her from his brother. Apparently she wasn't exactly his biggest fan.

"I want to hurt Thor of course," she replied with another evil grin.

Loki didn't quite understand what that had to do with her being here but he didn't say anything. As he glanced at Thor who was just standing there Loki eventually, cautiously asked, "So is that some puppet you've made or is that really him?"

"Oh, it's really him. He can still see and hear everything that's going around him but he has no control over his body now," said Amora. "Even now, he's still fighting to get out."

"Why are you here though?" Loki then asked.

"Because I want to hurt Thor," she answered, "and what better way to do that than to have him hurt someone he cares about by his own hand."

As she said this, Thor walked towards Loki, backing him up against the cold wall. He grabbed him by the collar and as he did, Loki could swear that his eyes were saying sorry. However, they quickly reverted back to the cold look before.

Then, Thor's fist came back and slammed forward into Loki's chest.

_Being human sucks_, thought Loki as he gasped in pain. He could feel at least one of his ribs break, maybe two. However, his brain barely had any time to truly register that pain as Thor hit him again, this time right in the solar plexus. It knocked the breath right out of him as he fell to his knees.

He could faintly hear Amora laughing as he tried to get in enough oxygen. "I could . . . always . . . tell . . . someone . . . a guard maybe even Odin," gasped out Loki.

"But after all you've done, who would believe you?" she asked with a smile.

"Someone else might notice . . . that something's wrong," Loki tried.

"I doubt it. Besides, you can tell me how you knew it wasn't him so that I can make him seem even more like himself among others," replied the Enchantress.

"Why would I explain to you how I—AH!" Loki cried out in pain as Thor kicked him hard in the chest.

"I would start talking now if I were you," Amora said.

Loki took a deep, shaky breath as he said, "Even when there is . . . trouble . . . he seems to still radiate some sort of cheerfulness and he should have more expression in his tone. Something tells me you're not very good at cheerfulness though."

The last comment awarded him a kick in the ribs though this time Amora did it herself. She bent down next to him and said, "Just so you know, this won't be the last time I'll come here."

"Why don't you just go torture that women Thor's in love with?"

"Because though my magic may be strong, I cannot control Thor in Midgard if I am here and it would look suspicious if I suddenly wanted to go down to Midgard now wouldn't it," replied the Enchantress. "Besides, he loves you a lot more than you realize. This hurts him just as much; maybe even more than if I made him hurt his love."

And, with those words still ringing in Loki's ears, the Enchantress disappeared and Thor made his way out of the cell, still under her control. Slowly, Loki pushed himself up and pulled up his shirt, watching the bruising already begin to develop over his skin.

* * *

When he had been younger, still only a kid, Loki had felt two emotions towards his brother; love and awe. As he had grown older, that awe slowly turned to respect as Thor became a better fighter and a good brother and friend. However, just like anyone who has to live in the shadow of someone supposedly better than himself that respect slowly turned to jealousy. And, of course, that jealousy turned to loathing and finally flat out hatred. Nevertheless, through it all that feeling of love remained. Sometimes, he would ignore it, smother it, and completely deny that it was even there but it still remained. He loved his brother and he would always love his brother no matter what.

Because of this fact, it pained him more than he liked to admit when his brother came to him. Pain would spread through his body as again and again Thor beat him, his bones breaking like twigs under the god's fists. He didn't even have enough time to heal himself before he was punished again. Sometimes he thought that maybe he saw something's in his brother's expression, some hint of sorrow or compassion, but then it was gone just like that.

Loki tried telling the guards, he tried warning them but they simple laughed at his attempts.

"It's about time Thor saw what a horrible creature you are. You deserve every bit of pain that his gives you."

"But can't you see! It's not Thor! This is all Amora's doing!" Loki tried to yell at them but he was forcefully shoved down instead.

"You're lies don't work anymore Loki. Your magic is gone or hadn't you realized that," the guard replied, smirking at Loki's pained expression.

Now Loki knew what true humiliation was. Before, if no one had listened to him, he could've overpowered them with his magic and forced them to do whatever he needed or wanted. Now he couldn't do anything except whimper and cry.

Loki even had to admit to himself that he was wretched now, completely worthless with really no point to live. But he didn't stop trying to fight Thor; he didn't stop trying to bring his brother back to himself. Amora would sometimes come and watch, smirk or laugh quietly, but she didn't little else.

Why couldn't Loki do anything? Why did he have to be so weak now? As days passed and slowly turned into weeks, and those weeks quickly made a month, Loki became a small shadow of his former self. With hardly any time to heal in between these beatings, Loki's mortal body was soon going to die.

The food that he was being given wasn't enough to keep him alive, he needed medical attention immediately but he wasn't going to get that anywhere. He could see it in his brother's eyes, he could see that Thor knew he was killing him.

And yet he still couldn't break free! Thor was still trapped by that witch's spell and he was going to completely destroy Loki.

One night, as Loki lay down curled up in corner, he finally decided to play his finally card. He didn't want to, this would truly destroy his image, but if he wanted to survive he would have to risk it.

The next time when Thor came in, Loki was there waiting.

"Thor I—"

He didn't even get a chance as Thor was crushing him up against the wall. Loki choked for air, trying to breath, but his vision was quickly going black.

"Thor-Thor you're-you're . . . still my . . . brother and I . . . I still . . ." he couldn't get anymore words out. The nothing was coming for him. Loki was going to die now for sure. But if he was going to die, he had to get out those words. He had to. "I . . . still . . . love you . . . brother . . ." And then the blackness was taking. Loki's brain was slowing down as his body began to go limp—

When suddenly air rushed back into his lungs.

Loki gasped his throat raw and aching but still drinking in the sweat air that began to fill his lungs again. As vision came back to his eyes, he looked up to see Thor's hands on either side of his head, obviously in a great amount of pain. Amora suddenly then appeared, her hands working her dark magic.

"No! You cannot do this to me!" she yelled, bent on not letting Thor escape her grasp.

Had Loki's words worked? Was this really happening? To try to pull Thor back to himself, Loki shouted out, "Please Thor! Please come back!"

Loki quickly shielded his eyes as a flash of green came along with a cry of pain. Loki kept his eyes closed, not wanting to open them to see what had happened. However, he eventually did when he heard a screech that only could've come from Amora's lips.

Thor had Amora his arms, her hands locked behind her back. She struggled but there was obviously no way she could ever hope to escape.

"Guards!" yelled out Thor and by Odin's beard Loki knew right away that it was really Thor.

Guards quickly came, shock crossing their faces as they saw the Enchantress. Thor quickly told them that he wished an audience with his father at once and for Loki to come as well. Two guards picked up Loki's thin form and carried him as Thor walked with Amora still completely trapped by him.

When they got to Odin's throne room, there were few people there but the ones that were couldn't help the shock that passed over their faces. Thor walked up to his father, still keeping his grip on Amora.

"Father," Thor's voice boomed. "Amora, the Enchantress, has had me under her trickery for at least month and I bring her before you to decide her fate."

"I knew full well what had happened son of mine," replied Odin much to everyone's surprise. "Do you think that I would not recognize a spell being cast over my own son?"

"Then why was nothing done? Why did you let her continue her work?" asked Thor, confusion clouding his face.

"Because I hoped that it would help teach Loki a lesson and I do believe it has."

"A lesson!" Loki cried, his voice still scratchy and hoarse from the lack of oxygen earlier. "I could've been killed!"

"Then you would've died a coward and a villain."

"Father," Thor suddenly said, stepping forward. "I must protest! You could've tried Loki a number of ways, many less cruel!"

"Only cruel trials will reshape a cruel man," argued Odin, his voice steely and sure. "Besides, this is not the last trial for you Loki."

"What are you going to do? Beat me yourself?" growled Loki, a bit of his old self coming back now.

"No, you will be banished for a period of a year on Midgard. If you continue to learn your lesson, afterwards you will be in Thor's care for another year and then, only then, will I give you back your place as prince."

Loki had to admit, his punishment could be much worse but how was he suppose to survive on Midgard for a year? He opened his mouth to argue but stopped when Thor said, "Please, stay silent this time Loki."

He actually listened to him, closing his mouth as he watched Odin give Amora her sentence and the guards eventually take her away. Odin then walked up to Loki, placing a hand on his shoulder. "I have put you through much son, but I will not place you on Midgard in this bedraggled form."

Before Loki could ask what he meant, he felt each broken bone, each bruise, each cut, begin to heal. The feeling was extremely painful at first and made Loki cry in pain but once that had passed, it was like nothing ever happened. Only the memories proved wrong.

"Thor, son of Odin, I give you the task of taking Loki to the newly built Bifrost and sending him to Midgard. You, nor anyone else of Asgard, is allowed to help him in his time of banishment."

Thor nodded in understanding, though with obvious reluctancey. He then took hold of Loki and began to lead him to the Bifrost. They walked in silence, only before they got to Heimdall did Thor stop and turn to his brother.

"Did you mean those words back there? Or were they spoken to only save yourself?" he asked softly.

At first Loki didn't answer, at it would seem that he wouldn't. However, he looked down and mumbled, "Yes brother, I did."

"Then there is hope for you yet," replied Thor, his voice loud and cheerful once more as he clapped Loki on his back. "When you get back we must celebrate and I can finally introduce you to the wonderful Midgardian delight of poptarts."

Loki couldn't help the slight smile that came on his slips. It wasn't a smile of malicious or a smile of hatred. Neither was it a sad smile or a sadistic one. It was a soft, humored smile that had appeared on Loki's face for quite some time now.

Maybe there was hope for the god of lies.


End file.
